Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a respiratory support system wherein blood is pumped out of the body, flowed over a gas permeable membrane to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, and returned to the systemic circulation. A typical ECMO system uses a mechanical pump to withdraw deoxygenated blood from the patient, via large diameter (˜¼″) tubing, through a heat exchanger and oxygenator, before returning oxygen-rich blood to the body.
Unlike mechanical ventilation, which can induce barotrauma by forcing oxygen-rich air into already damaged pulmonary alveoli, ECMO directly oxygenates blood via a synthetic membrane, allowing the lungs to heal. ECMO allows patients to rest and recover from traumatic injury, disease-induced acute respiratory distress, or prepare for lung transplant.